Orders for the 1948 copies of the Speedster open May 7, and we don't yet know how many of those will come to the U.S.

In keeping with Porsche's recent tradition, the company will send off the 991.2 version of its 911 with a limited-production special model sure to send the brand's fans into a tizzy. At the end of the previous generation, the world was gifted the splendid and slightly retro 911 R. This time Porsche has dusted off one of its old favorite names and slapped it atop what promises to be yet another splendid and slightly retro send-off: the 2019 911 Speedster.

In fact, if you were to think of the 911 Speedster as a chop-top 911 R, you wouldn't be far from the truth. As with the R, the Speedster is powered by a version of the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six. In the Speedster, it makes 502 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque and, says Porsche, is fitted with individual throttle bodies to sharpen the already quite pointy throttle response. And, yes, it revs to 9000 rpm. It's backed, as the 911 R was, by a six-speed manual gearbox instead of the seven-speed manual found in other 911s. Who needs the tall fuel-economy gear in this car anyway? Plus, according to Porsche, the six-speed is nine pounds lighter than the seven-speed.

Photo credit: Porsche

The Speedster gets the full load of Porsche performance gear as standard, including rear-axle steering, dynamic engine mounts, and a carbon-ceramic braking system. The Speedster's frunklid, front fenders, and rear decklid are molded from carbon fiber. Porsche says that the Speedster weighs in at 3230 pounds. We think they're talking about a car that has no air-conditioning system. It's a no-cost option and kind of a no-brainer unless you happen to live in the world's most temperate climate. Also saving weight (at least compared to a heavier theoretical version of the Speedster) is the manually operated fabric top. Why you would ever choose to drive your Speedster on anything but a perfect day, we do not know.

As with previous Speedsters, the 2019 model has a cut-down windshield and side windows. And it has what Porsche refers to as two streamliners on the deck, one behind each of the front seats (there is no rear seat). And here, we've been crudely calling them "humps" for all these years. Go figure.

Speedster production is limited to 1948 units worldwide. We don't know how many of those will be coming to the United States, but we do know that each will carry an MSRP of $275,750. If that sounds steep, that's because it is. But, hey, at least that includes delivery charges. You can order yours beginning May 7.